On Sept. 30, the Student Council Association (SCA) hosted the annual homecoming dance. Due to its extreme popularity after the 2021 homecoming, the dance was held outside in the football stadium, with a large tent and a dance floor. Students could participate in games like cornhole, miniature basketball,  connect four, and chess, or relax and watch a movie under the stars.

SCA started preparations for homecoming in the weeks before the event. “We prepared for weeks getting all the supplies, building all the games, deciding what jobs people are going to do, and what the result would be,” sophomore Arjav Iyer said.  

On the day of the dance, SCA made final preparations for the event from 7:15 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The morning consisted of collecting the best decorations from each grade’s hallway to decorate the dance tent, setting up the snack tables, setting up the games, and ensuring that homecoming was perfect for everyone attending. 

Many students didn’t stick to dancing; instead, they took advantage of the variety of games available to play and the inflatable screen that played “Jumanji.” “I honestly liked that there were so many games and activities available because I’m not the kind of person who likes mosh pits because it gets too hot and sweaty,” senior Ashrita Challa said. “[We played] cornhole. I [also] sat down for, like, 30 minutes and just stared at ‘Jumanji.’”

This year’s homecoming dance was the last for the class of 2024. “It was bittersweet, but I went into it wanting just to have a good time and have it be something I’d remember,” senior Kyle Cornell said. “I liked dancing, [especially] just being with everyone and the energy. [Because] everybody got into it, I got into it. We belted out to ‘What Makes You Beautiful’ and ‘You Belong With Me.’”

Homecoming Royalty was voted for by the student body. The first winner, senior Maggie Miller, was announced during the football game and the second winner, senior Claire Cho, was announced at the dance. 

This year, homecoming came sooner than expected from previous years. The football game and the dance took place in September, as opposed to mid-to-late October. “I liked it [being earlier] because it was less cold than when we had it in October,” junior Sophie King said. 

Although the dance was earlier this year, students still enjoyed themselves under the night sky, allowing themselves three hours away from the social and academic stresses of high school.

Gallery • 6 Photos

Ananya Karthik

Seniors Manasvi Sharma and Aishwarya Salur link their arms together as they walk down the dance floor before Homecoming Royalty is announced. “[I decided to run for Homecoming Court] because I thought, ‘Why not?’ It’s senior year,” senior Aishwarya Salur said. “I honestly didn’t think I’d get this far.”